HONOLULU – The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s (DBEDT) Creative Industries Division (CID) announces a workshop to teach individuals with innovative ideas about how to maximize opportunities in the media marketplace.

The workshop is open to the public and free of charge. The first 30 qualified individuals to apply by Thursday, March 17, will be accepted. To apply, go to: http://bit.ly/CLHIDEA1

Featured are top professionals such as Meg LeFauve, a screenwriter on the Pixar Animation, Academy Award-winning animated film “Inside Out,” and motion picture development executive, John Soriano, who has worked on films ranging from blockbusters such as “The Patriot Games,” “Dragonheart,” and “The Firm,” to smaller films such as “Searching for Bobby Fisher.” Rounding out the workshop is W. Bruce Cameron, whose first book “Eight Simple Rules to Dating My Teenage Daughter,” became a well know series, and his latest novel, A Dog’s Purpose, which spent 52 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, with the movie version by DreamWorks being released in 2017.

LeFauve will headline a talk, free and open to the general public, at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 18, at The Modern Honolulu.

“This workshop was developed for individuals who are seriously interested in learning ways to develop and position an idea or existing project to maximize its opportunities in the media marketplace,” said DBEDT Director Luis P. Salaveria. “The Ideation Weekend, Creative Lab Hawaii’s immersive programs and Global Virtual Studios programs are all part of the state’s Hi Growth initiative, and we are very grateful to our community sponsors who make this economic development program a true public-private partnership.”

“The Ideation Weekend is not for ‘fans.’ This is for people who are committed to moving their ideas forward with an eye toward applying to the Creative Lab Hawaii immersive programs or the Global Virtual Studios program. At the end of the workshop, we expect participants to commit themselves to take specific actions to move their projects forward,” said Michael Andres Palmieri, an industry veteran who is executive director of Creative Lab Hawaii.

“We created Ideation Weekend as a stepping stone — a way to help the wonderful storytellers in Hawaii get their work noticed and produced on a bigger stage,” said CID Chief Officer Georja Skinner.

Ideation weekend is sponsored by Hawaiian Airlines, SpeediShuttle and The Modern Honolulu.